The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1887-11-30

Albany"
"Say," said Blewitt, just bury me,
will you? l don't belong in this CEN
fury. Stage coaches, twelve cents pos
tage! Telegraph him hen!"
There goes another new word"
said his wife in solemn voice, and she
wetted cloth and laid it on his fore
head, as she repeated to herself,
"' Telegraph; what funny word! "
Blewitt was in despair Could it be
that all the common things of life were
to him dream? Had he ever ridden
on the cars? Did he ever own now
ing-machine? Vas there ever tele-
graph-pole in front of his house? He
turned his eye and looked out. He
only saw the tall post and long pole of
the well-sweep. Along the other side
of the road ran dense forest. He was
willing to swear that he had once owned
a nice meadow where that wood was.
Backed up against the log fence was an
ox-cart with a neap as large as young
liberty-pole. Down cellar he could
bear the banging of an old-fashioned
churn. He looked up the road to the
east and saw the road was full of great
hemlock and pine stumps, and over it
the doctor was coming on horseback,
with saddle-bags before him.
Blewitt was man of determ nation,
and he arose from the lounge and went
to the door to consult with his wife.
Maria" said he, there has been
enough of this fooishness. You stare
at everything l talk about, and l can't
locate myself, or seem to fay in with
my surroundings. Now will you just
answer me one question:"
Certainly l will if l understand it,"
said she.
Well, then, who is president of
these ere United States?''
Why, John Adams, of course" she
said.
Blewitt sank down and whispered, in
hoarse tone: "Then you never heard
of Cleveland swingin' round the circle?"
No, never" she answered.
Then all right. Shoot me or put
me in bag and lay me away up garrett.
| have got through" said Blewitt, and
he went back to the lounge and fell
asleep.
When he awoke it was Sunday morn
ing, and the whole family were stirring
around getting ready for meeting. His
wife, of whom he was somewhat proud,
had put on a dress with waist about
nine inches long and skirt so tight
she could hardly walk, and on her head
such a bonnet! 1t made Bewitt hold
his breath, but he had got through talk
ing. The boys had on suits of full-cloth
and shirt collars seven inches wide.
Blewitt smiled but said nothing. At
last Mrs. Blewitt came to him and asked
him if he was going to church.
Certainly, certainly" said he, any
thing to accommodate. Tell one of the
boys to hitch horse on to the top car
rage"
"Top carriage. There you 90 again"
"Well, then" roared Blewitt, d" hitch
on to the stoneboat, hitch on to the OK
cart, hitch on to anything. Have it
your own way"
"Why, we will 90 on horseback-yo
on the saddle, on the pillion behind"
said the wife.
CAN right" said Blewitt, and away
they went.
Blewitt made some adverse remarks
about the singing at church, which was
led by deacon with fiddle. The SER
mon was too long, too. 1t lasted two
hours. On his way home from church
his wife appeared to be in fear of some
thing and urged him to hurry up. He
asked her what allied her, and she told
him, in trembling voice, that his queer
talk had made the minister think him
bewitched, and he feared he would be
burned or drowned.
"What kind of country is this, any,
how?" asked Blewitt.
Then Mrs. Bewitt reminded him
that in New England several had thus
died, and that everybody believed in it
and the church was death on witchcraft
" Then | guess we better light out
from here" said Blewitt, as he clapped
spurs to his horse.
Away they went, rattle-te- bang, over
stumps and logs and stones, and there
was rattle and roar behind and he
knew they were after him. They came
to log bridge over brook, and they
struck il so hard that down it went,
Blewitt and horse and wife, and with
yell of despair he dwoke-yes, awoke,
for the chair had tipped too far back
and he was in heap on the floor, with
his head in a pan of apples and his feet
III -hlo' DlCNlll WOTh-DdSkeu. lie
heard the rafting yet, and he looked
out of the window to discover its source,
and saw that the boys had started the
reaper in the field of wheat One of
the girls had just driven into the yard
with the top carriage, and was Just
taking out his daily mail, and had Of
fered him telegraph dispatch about
his hops. His wife was putting in
tenor to the racket with sewing-ma-
chine in the front room, and the hired
girl was backing the cooking range.
With pleased smile Blewitt saun-
tered out to the wheat field, and, as the
reaper stopped, he said: "Darn the
good old times! These ere times is
good enough for me-"
What's that, father?" said John.
81 thought you was in favor of the
real, honest, reliable, good old-f fashioned
times of hundred years ago?"
" Never you mind, john" said the
smiling father. "You can 90 down and
buy that Thompson colt you've been
wantin' and let Charley have your side
bar buggy; and-say, if the wheat amt
takin' no hurt, you may go down to
Barnum's circus tomorrow and cut the
wheat next day"
He looked down at his diagonal pants
and white Marselles vest and muttered.
as he went to the house: " Darn the
good old timesl These 'ere times will